After a chaotic first two rounds of March Madness, the Sweet 16 is officially here. On Thursday afternoon, the first of the weekend’s 12 games will tip off, signaling one of the best weekends on the sports calendar.

This year, there aren’t a whole lot of superstars in March Madness. There’s a lot of depth in this year’s crop, but the top-end star power just isn’t there like it has been in year’s past. That’s what makes lists like this so hard to make. There are a few guys who standout at the top, but once you get to the 5-10 range, it’s nearly impossible to rank some of these players. But it’s my job to rank them, so I gave it my best shot.

But before we get into my rankings, check out the EssentiallySports top-30 players left in the tournament. There’s a social media debate raging in the comments, and since I don’t agree with all of their picks, I decided to make my own.

Now, let’s get into my personal ranking of the top-10 players still left in March Madness.

10. Brayden Burries, G, Arizona

After a pretty slow start to the season, Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries caught fire, scoring double digit points in 10 straight games from late November to mid January. Ever since then, he’s been the Arizona Wildcats’ leading scorer, averaging 16 points per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three.

In the NCAA Tournament, Burries has been even better than he was in the regular season. He’s averaging 17 PPG, but it shooting an incredible 64.7 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from three while also averaging seven rebounds per game. He is Arizona’s best player right now despite being a freshman, and if the Wildcats going to win it all, he’s going to have to keep playing lie he has in the first two games of the tournament.

9. Kingston Flemings, G, Houston

Kelvin Sampson’s Houston teams are typically led by upperclassmen, and while he still has a couple of elite senior guards in Emmanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan, it’s been the freshman, Kingston Flemings, who has taken the lead for the Cougars this season.

Flemings averages 16.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. He’s stayed pretty true to those averages through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, and he’s done it while attempting just one three. He’s an elite shot creator and one of the best mid-range players in the country. If Houston’s going to make a run, he’s going to have to perform really well.

8. Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s

Our first forward on this list is none other than St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor. The 6-foot-9 big man from Garland, Texas, is also our first upperclassman. He started his career at Kansas before transferring to St. John’s, where he’s spent the past three seasons. He’s been with Rick Pitino throughout his three-year tenure with the Red Storm, and now he’s their best player.

In 2025-2026, Ejiofor is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field. He’s also a tremendous defender, averaging 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game en route to winning Big East Defensive Player of the Year. St. John’s offense and defense run through him, so if they’re going to upset Duke on Friday, he’s going to need to have a massive game on both ends of the court.

7. Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State

After two years at St. Mary’s, Joshua Jefferson transferred to Iowa State in 2024, and has since turned himself into an All-American. In 2025-2026, Jefferson averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while stealing 1.6 passes per game. At 6-foot-9, 240 pounds, he’s an absolute force in the paint, but the Cyclones could be without their star forward in the Sweet 16.

Jefferson is currently a game-time decision against the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday night. Luckily, he has an extra day to rest up since they play on Friday, but there’s no guarantee that he plays. And even if he does, he won’t be 100 percent. We’ll see if he can be ready by game time on Friday, but it would be a huge blow if he can’t go.

6. Keaton Wagner, F, Illinois

This is where we start getting into superstar territory. Keaton Wagler is a true freshman for the Illinois Fighting Illini, and he’s been an absolute force all season long, averaging 17.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. He’s a 6-foot-6 guard that is nearly impossible to cover, and he’s Illinois’ leading score by over four points per game.

Illinois’ offense runs through Wagler. He’s averaging 16 points per game while shooting exactly 50 percent from the field and from three during the Fighting Illinis’ first two tournament games, but as the competition ramps up, so should his production. He’s not afraid of the bright lights, so Illinois will go as far as he can take them.

5. Braden Smith, G, Purdue

It feels like Braden Smith has been around for a long time, and that’s because he’s been a prominent piece of Purdue’s basketball team for the past four seasons. He’s started all 147 of his career games for the Boilermakers, and has been there through the highs and lows. Now, he’s trying to finish his career with a National Championship.

Smith has been outstanding this year, averaging 14.3 points and 9.0 assists per game while shooting 36.7 percent from three. He’s leads Purdue in scoring and assists and plays five more minutes per game than anyone else on the team. In two tournament games, Smith is averaging 19.0 points and 8.0 assists, and if Purdue wants to win it all, he’s going to have to keep those averages up.

4. Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan

After two really good seasons at UAB, Yaxel Lendeborg transferred to Michigan to try and put his name on the map, and boy has he ever. In his first year with the Wolverines, Lendeborg is averaging 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three. He’s also blocking 1.3 shots per game and stealing 1.1 passes per game.

After a Round of 64 game where he scored just nine points in Michigan’s blowout win over Howard, Lendeborg scored 25 points while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field to help the Wolverines knock off St. Louis in the Round of 32. Those are the kinds of performances Michigan will need from him moving forward if they want to win the National Championship in year two under Dusty May.

3. Jeremy Fears Jr., G, Michigan State

Jeremy Fears Jr. is one of my favorite players to watch in college basketball. He’s a great scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game, but he’s an even better passer. He led the nation in assists this year with 9.4 per game, and in Michigan State’s first two tournament games, he’s dished out 11 and 16 assists.

Fears is Michigan State’s leading scorer, but he’s also the facilitator of this offense. He’s able to keep defenses guessing because he’s such a threat to score and pass the basketball. If the Spartans want to upset UConn on Friday, Fears is going to have to play the game of his life.

2. Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas

There’s a case to be made that Darius Acuff is the best freshman guard John Calipari has ever coached, and that’s saying something. Calipari has coached some great players, such as John Wall, Derek Rose and Devin Booker, but Acuff has put Arkansas on his back at times this season.

In his true freshman season, Acuff averaged 23.3 points and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 44.6 percent from three. Those numbers have only gotten better in the tournament. Through two games, he’s scoring 30 points per game with 6.5 assists and has shot 48.8 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three. If it weren’t for the guy above him, he’d be the best player in college basketball. Make sure you tune into Arkansas vs Arizona on Thursday night to see what he can do.

1. Cameron Boozer, F, Duke

While Acuff has been fantastic this season, Cameron Boozer is the best player in college basketball. At 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, he’s virtually unguardable. In his true freshman season, Boozer has averaged 22.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 56.3 percent from the field and 39.8 percent from three. It’s hard to beat that.

Boozer’s been playing pretty well in the tournament, scoring 20.5 points per game with 12 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, but he’s only 1-for-6 from three. If Duke wants to ensure they make it out of this weekend, he’s going to have to get his field goal percentage numbers up, but there’s no reason to think he can’t do that.